Toothpick dispenser



March 20, 1928.

- M. Moss ET AL TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed March 16, 1927 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MTCHEAL MOSS AND THOMAS F. MCCARTHY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOOTHIICK DISPENSER.

- Application filed March 16, 1927. Serial N0. 175,761.

This invention relates to dispensing containers, such as may be found in restaurants, and other like public places for the distribution of small articles.

In the present embodiment a device for containing toothpicks is indicated, the same being arranged to hold a'quantity of the toothpicks in bulk, from which one only at a time may be taken, thus dispensing with the usual unsanitary arrangement where toothpicks are grouped in a container accessible to those who pass by and become soiled by contact with unclean fingers in making a selection therefrom.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a compact container of pleasing appearance, readily attachable to a wall, or like supporting surface, and from which a single toothpick only can be removed at one time.

A further feature is in the provision of a container adapted to carry 'a plate, card or the like in position to attract attention of the person using the device.

Other aims and. objects, such as simplicity of construction as well as operation, cheapness of manufacture and ease of refilling, are attained by the novel design and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the annexed drawings constituting an important portion of this disclosure and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. l showing the toothpicks as held in the container before release.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower portion of the container showing the toothpicks in an accessible position.

Fig. 4c is a perspective view of a carton in which the toothpicks are originally contined.

As shown in the drawings, the upper main portion of the container is of rectangular cross section having a pair of end walls connected at the back by a rear wall 10, its width conforming with the length of the toothpicks used therein.

Carried by the rear wall are one or more button headed studs 11, engaged in recesses 12 formed in a plate 13, which may be secured in any approved location to a wall or similar vertical support.

The frontwall 14 has attached to it a frame 15, open at the top and adapted to wardly below the frame as at 17, and the rearwall 10 is bent diagonally forward, as

at 18 to an ofiset element 19 and their converging forward as at 20.

The lower extremities of the element 20 are curved upwardly forming shelves 21, at each side of the structure between, which is a recess 22, which, in connection with a recess 23 in the front wall, provides a convenient space for the insertion of a thumb and finger in removing the outermost toothpick as disposed on the shelves 21 from the stock held within the container.

The toothpicks are received from the man ufacturer in a paper carton 24, one of the ends of which are provided with leaves 25 and 26, respectively, to be folded over the toothpicks contained within the receptacle.

The picks are retained in the receptacle by means of a strip 27 of paper or the like, the ends of which are passed through openings in the opposite sides of the carton as at 28, and secured by an adhesive.

When the leaves 25 and 26 are opened or torn away, the carton is reversed and placed up-slde down within the container, whereupon the toothpicks in a mass drop bodily downward into the bightof the strip 27, as seen best in Figure 2.

Formed through the front plate 17 is a narrow elongated opening 29, permitting the insertion of a knife or the like to sever the paper strip 27 allowing the toothpicks to drop by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position they are easily accessib'le in an obvious manner.

It has been found that the offset element 19 operates to avoid bridging or wedging of the toothpicks, a difliculty encountered should the wall 18 have been continued uninterruptedly to the shelves.

From the foregoing it will be apparentit will be understood that minor changes may be made in its construction and arrangement without afiecting the scope of the appended claims. 4

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is g 1. In combination with a toothpick dispenser, of a. filling means consisting of a carton, a flexible strap loosely disposed over the open top of said carton, and means in said dispenser to facilitate severing said strap when the carton is disposed in an inverted position Within the dispenser.

2. In combination with a sanitary toothpick dispenser having a converging rear wall and means at the proximate edges to permit the exit of a single pick, of a carton suited to enter. said dispenser, a flexible strap loosely confining the picks in said carton, and means in the front wall of the dispenser permitting severance of said strap when the carton is disposed Within the dispenser inan inverted position, whereby the picks are freed to become disposed in parallel in the lower part of the dispenser.

Signed at New York, :in the county of Bronx, and State of New York, this24th day of February, 1927.

MICHEAL MOSS. THOMAS F. MCCARTHY. 

